Elastic bed bottom



' March 20, 1945. R RETTER ELASTIC BED aom'om Filed Feb. 13, 1943 FIG. 2

INVENTOR Rudolf Retter BY 5. M

ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 20, 1945 ,ELASQZZE I IIIZQTTOM moaowmtter,Application February 6 Claims.

expensive construction and which includes little nor-nometal initsstructure.

l r A further: obj ect.-.0f the invention is .to provide satwood =bedspring-vzhichis so constructedeandaso nmountedsin its frame thatitprovidesl a tcomfortcable; 1111311318,. -.noise1ess-and-. sanitarybedtbottom. s-A: ffuntherrlobj ect. ofthe .inventiomis to provide caWOQdv spring rbed .bottom in-tvvhich' the ran ge-of ;:flexurezofatheresilient wood. cushioning elements t islimitedtq protect the:elements:- against breaktageiandan-in mhich the: cushioning elementsrareso combined as to efiectively absorb impact shocks tatenear the limitsFOf movement; of the cushioning, elements.

rWith, the above. and 1 other objects in 1 vievv, rthe .jnventiommaybe.v said -to vcomprise the. bed.-bot- ,-,-tm asillustratedthaiaccompanying-drawing "hereinafterdescribed,and particularlysetz-for-th .tin-thelappended claimstogether: with suchvarianations-land modifications, thereof. as willbe apparoentto rpersonsskilled ,in the art to which they inventionpertains.

Reference should-be :had to the accompanying adrawingci forming apart ofthis. specification in which: A v

F gu e. 1;is.a -perspective.viewdof a bedbottom embodyingwtheeinvention;

'l'FFigJZisa fragmentary. sidenelevation. onwan enlarged scale showingthe springtsupportafor the central portion of. the springbody;

I; Fig. 3 his-a2 fragmentary: @end. elevation", of the .bed bottom;

JEig. Anis a; fragmentary. v side in elevation corresponding. to" Fig.2; showing theshockabsorlbing .iaction...of the edge slats .when "thecushioning springs are, flexed to. near their ,1imit,of.- moveamentnaridi Eig.'.5nis; aiiragmenta ziaanialternative .tormeof central cushion for-the es rlin lbddyl I g .1 .As villn'strated in t theeaccompanyingzhdrawingf thewbed bottomnof the present. invention has; aso, rigid rectangular, frame. composed. ofside bars I .aandnend bars 2..Thevsidehand end barslare prefera1q1y..in. the form of boardsmhichtproviden a asubstantially' rigid} vframe preferably of suflicientstrengthnto provide a .bed. frame whens suitable -..supponting legsnareaattached thereto 2 and of a aheight; sufficient to. permit ithe-springsto have: an adequate rangepfmovementwiththe framer-resv ing on thefloor. V

rye sidelelevation showing soummeuuomo 13,1943, SeriabNo. 415,104

..The frame =is -rpreferahlm .constructedtoflaniinexpensivetlightweight-moods? sucmasipine hemlock 'ggumwood i0! wredwood, ..Both.-the vside -bars ands theiend bars :are disposed onzodge \andtthe 5 -bottom=edgesyoft the endmbars .araiiush withmthe abottomedgesiofitheisiderbars..JIfhe endhars tare -eof-lgreater swidth lthanathelsidet-bars lleandnare qrabbeted wt provide. end portions; 3 which-over-.-hangr.the:ends ofithe side-bars. .wAbovemtheatops ref ther-sideehars;- (theeend that's hare provided (throughout: their "lengthswtthk-spacedtslots A.

Thea side- :bars I are providedwith elongated recessest 5 :inwardlytpf,the end harstz andwbe- I .rtween the\.-inner.-.ends.of-.the;recessesSethere is :1 providedwa ,centralt raised, portion. 6 which has Jan.-elongated recess 'lr Minion-provides.abutments tBa andvfi at-oppesitaendsmfi the; raised portion fi.

-,abutmentst 81 and 9 the-anion the l springresting 20.011 whet-abutment8, beingwattacheddtheretoflhy tmeans. of,,a..-screw l lqand theopposite; freesend beingwslidable Qn-Jthe ,abutmentLB. iThe spring. 1 0amaybe aanetal' spninghutdspreferahlya straight strip! of elm, :secondzsasui-table toughwand resilient-wood. 1 n r The frame, including thesprings [0, provides .alsupport; .torla springbodymhich oonsistspf atrseries-of longitudinal islats. l 2. formed oiresilient ,woodandhavingnarrowedeendvpontions lflmwhich *mlsndabiy at, in .ltheislotsm nor.the..efid"bars. 5n cross: slat lkdsattached hylsuit'ablex means ,such lscrews 1 4 5 touthe tundersides-eoff-theeslats I I 2 substantiallymidwaylbetweentheir endsaridthe ends. oi the cross slat-ts I 4.-restnuponl the. spring 1 0 substantially .midway; betweenlthetendsl'there- .vof. The slats l 2 .are,,preferablymade-of straightgrained white or yellow pine ande'thacrossislats "I tare. relativelxxjgidso thatihe central pontions =1 oi theslats l 2,move.substantiallyein unison. "L'Ihe 40 spring bodyt extends theiull..Widthlof the. frame, nthaoutermost slats .IZbeingZdispOsddiretly overthe side bars I, the slats 12 being straight and supported aheightabovelthetside v ciently to .engagmthe bottoms of l the recesseswithout breaking. The; limited .movenient wa1-- slowed -by .the mossslat M prevents qexces'sive l flexure' oft the slats J 2 anabruptztransition from .tailflexibles to arigid;supportlsuchtastisordinarily "15 provided :when-custfioning springs arewstopped L A-leafspring;(It bridgesmthe space bettveen the r, growth ,liickory, or.other;

vent ilexure them.

wardly by the loads imposed thereon. When the 1 edge slats 12 are flexeddownwardly far enough, to rest on the abutments 8 and 9, as shown in"overlying the top edges of the side bars so that the downward movementof the said cross slat is limited.

2. An elastic bed bottom comprising a rigid rectangular supporting framehaving parallel side bars and end bars connecting the side bars, saidbars being in the form of boards on edge, the end bars having their topedges above the top edges of the side bars and having slots above theedges of the side bars, resilient longitudinal wood slats having theirends extending through the slots in the end bars and slidable therein, arelatively rigid cross slat attached to the longitudinal slatsintermediate the end bars, the ends of Fig. 4, the portions of theedgeuslats between j ab utments 8 and 9 form a stifi auxiliary springsupplementing the actionof the spring Ill. The

weight imposed upon the spring body is transmitted to the edge slatsthrough the cross slat. I 4 and this weight is yieldingly supported byboth the edge slats I 2 and the leaf springs In which together provide arelatively stiif spring for absorbing shock near the limit of flexingmovementl The edge slats l2 thusserveto protect 11.

the springs 'l 0 again'stthe imposition of excessive loads and toprevent the noise and jarring action which would result from the impactof the spring body against fixed stops. While the initial cushioningaction of'the spring I0 is desirable, it will p be apparent that aneffective cushioning action said cross slat overlying the side bars ofthe supporting frame, and springs mounted on the supporting frame andyieldably supporting said cross slat above said side bars.

3. An elastic bed bottom comprising a rigid rectangular supporting framehaving side bars and end bars in the form of boards positioned on edge,the end bars having their top edges above the top edges of the side barsand having a row of slots adjacent their topedges, said side bars eachhaving a longitudinally extending recess in its top edge substantiallymidway between its ends, a normally fiat leaf spring bridging eachrecess and attached to thetop edge of the side would be provided by theslats l2 should the springs in be omittedor be broken in service.

In Fig. 5 of the drawing, there is shown a modifiedspring support forthe central portions of the I slats I? which maybe employed. In thismodification a cross slat Ma has its ends overlying the side rails laand'a cross bar 16 connects the side rails la immediately beneath thecross slats Ma.

. Compression coil'springs ll are'interposed between the cross barlfiandthe' cross slat 14a, springs 1! serving to cushion the downwardmovements of the'slats I 2 and the engagement of the slats Ma with theside bars m serving to pie- The bed bottom of the present invention iscomposed jwholly of inexpensive materials and little labor is requiredto assemble the parts. The entire structure is of light weight and iseasily handled. All portions of the device are readily accessible forcleaning and all parts may be easily replaced if damaged or broken. Theslats are capable of independent flexing to conformsubstantially to theform of a'person lying thereon and, while the flexing w thereof islimited, the cushioning capacity is hig n v I It is to be understoodthat variations and modifications of the specific devices herein shownand described for purposes of illustration, may be 4 said end barshaving their upper edges above the top edges of the side bars, resilientlongitudinal slats having their endsslidably connected to said end bars,said slats being closely spaced substantially throughout the width ofthe frame and normally positioned above the top edges of the side bars,arelatively rigid cross slat attached to the undersides of saidlongitudinal slats intermediate the end bars, the ends of saidcross'slat of the slats l2 sufficient to break bar adjacent one end ofthe recess, and a spring body comprising a series of resilientlongitudinal wood slats having their ends slidably mounted in the slotsof said end bars and a relatively rigid cross slat secured to theundersides of said resilient slats and having its ends resting upon saidleaf springs substantially centrally of said recesses.

i 4. Anelastic bed bottom comprising a rigid rectangular supportingframe having side bars I and end bars in the form of boards positionedon edge, the end bars having their top edges above the top edges of theside bars and having a row ofslots adjacent their top edges, saidsidebars each having a longitudinally extending recess in its top edgesubstantially midway between its ends, a straight resilient wood stripbridging the recess of each side bar and attached at one end to thetopedge of the side bar, and a spring body comprising a series of resilientlongitudinal wood slats having their ends slidably mounted in the slotsof said and bars and a relatively rigid cross slat secured to saidresilient slats and having its ends resting upon the resilient stripscentrally of said recesses.

the top edges of the side bars and having a row of slots adjacent theirtop edges, said side bars each having a longitudinally extending recessin its top edge substantially midway between its ends, a' straightresilient wood strip bridging the recess of each side bar and attachedat one end to the top edge of the side bar, and a spring body comprisinga series of resilient longitudinal wood slats having their ends slidablymounted in the slotsof said end bars and a relatively rigid'cross slatsecured to said resilient slats and having its ends "resting upon theresilient strips centrally of said recesses, the outermost of saidresilient slats being positioned over the top edges of said side barswhereby saidoverlying slats engage the ends ofsaid strips resting'on thetop edges of said side bars before the said strips engage the bottoms ofsaid recesses. 2

6. An elastic bed bottom comprising a rigid rectangular supporting framehaving side and end bars, the side bars having their topedges recessedmidway between their ends and between the central recess and the endsthereof to provide a pair of spaced abutments in the central portion ofeach side bar, the end bars having their upper edges above the upperedges of the side) bars, and a spring body comprising a series ofparallel longitudinal resilient wood slats which are supported above thetop edges of said side 7 cross slat connected to said resilient slatssubstantially midway between their ends, said cross slat having its endsoverlying the central recess in the top edge of the side bars, theoutermost of said longitudinal slats being positioned over the top edgesof said side bars and being engageable when flexed downwardly with saidspaced abutments to resiliently absorb shocks.

RUDOLF RE'I'IER.

7 t 3 bars and which have their ends slidably connected to saidend bars,and a relatively rigid

